Machine for forbtljig tie-wires



G. M. BROUS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING TIE WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-24, 19m.

1,315,083. PatentedSept. 2, 1 919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- GeorgeMfl/mw, INVENTOR WITNESSES Mm? BY ff 1 IATTORNEY rm: cnufimnn FLANOGRAPH co-, WASHINGTON. I) c G. M. BROUS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING TIE WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24,'I918.

I 315,08 3 Patented Sept 2, 1919;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I IN R WITNESSES G WMBIUZQ VENTO I UNITED STATESPATENT oFrIoE.

enonqs M. .BROUS, or ronTLANn, onnson.

MACHINE ronronMiiis TIE-w nes.

To all whom it may concern." 1

Be it known that I, Gnonen M. BRoUs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, inthecounty of Multnomah and State of Oregon haveinvented a new and useful Machinexfor Forming Tie-Wires, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to niachines for forming tie wires, and itsobject is to automatically and rapidly produce a closed loop at the endof the wire and then sever the Wire with the formed loop from the neXtsucceeding length. ofwire, whereby each tie Wire comprises-astraightlength ofWire of suitable extent with a closed loop at one endthereof. 11 a 1 in accordance with the invention there is provided atwisting head orbitally revolving in a path, the diameter ofwhichdetermines the length of the finished tie wire, with each completed tiewire severed from the next sueceeding one as soon as the end loop ofsaid succeeding tie wire is com leted,the operation being continuous andt e tie wire being completed and discharged from the machine on eachcomplete orbital movement of a twisting head, the machine comprising twotwisting heads on the opposite sides of the axis of rotation. 1

. The machine is provided with a holder for a reel of wire and asidefrom the initial threading of the machine the operation is entirelyautomatic, the loop in the end of the Wire being formed at a pointopposite from the feeding-in side of the machine and such loop end beingcarried, in the pi'ogressive movement of the twisting head forming theloop, to a point adjacent to the feeding-in side of the machine, and assoon as the next succeeding loop is produced the length of Wire with thefirst formed loop is severed from the wire on which the second loop isproduced at said secondloop and the completedtie wire with a loop at oneend is then automatically discharged fromthc machine. r

The invention will be best understood from a considerationof thefollowing dc tailed description taken in connection. with theaccompanying drawings forming partof this specification, with theunderstanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strictconformity with theshowing of the drawings but may be changed and inodi-55 fied so long as such changes and modifica 1 tions mark no materialdeparture from the.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed April 24,1918 Serial No. 230391;

salient fe a in the appended claims.

In the drawings a Figure lis a front elevation of-a machine constructedin accordance with the invention and illustrating in full lines theinitial step of the operation and in dotted lines another position ofthetwisting heads of the' machine. j a

Fig. 2 is a Vertical diametric front to'rear section of the 'machineshowing the rotor but omitting the twisting heads and distant partspy jj Fig.*3 isa rear elevation ofthe machine.

Figra is a plan viewof one of thetwistingheads and adjacent portionsofthe frame androtor 1 j 1 Figxli is a detail elevation of a portion ofthe structure shown in Fig. 4; asviewed from the right hand sidethereof.

Fig." 6 isa section on the line fi 6 of Fig; 4a with the twistingheaddriving pinion in mesh with a rack carried by the main frame.

Fig. 'Tis a detail view showing a wiresevermg device: with some parts insection.

Referringto the drawings, there is shown a main frame 1 convenientlymade of circm lar outline with a peripheral strengthenin rilo2, acentralhuh 3 and supporting legs all ofwhich constitute parts of a singlecasting, although such particular construction is not obligatory. Thehub? constitutes or earriesa journal for a shaft 5 also having journalbearin s 6, on the upper end of a post "7 provide with abaseB made fastto thelower portion of the framelby screws 9 orotherwise; the base 8 andthe legs 4 being utilized for fastening screws or bolts 10 for securingthe machine to a floor or other like support. 1

in journal bearingsun ures of the invention as expressed Mountedbrackets 11,12011 the rear face of the rame l is a countershaft 13carrying a pulley 14 b means of which'power may be 'applied to the shaftl3 and from which shaft, by means of power transmitting belt 15, anothercountershaft116 is driven, this co-untershaft havingjournal bearings 1718 on the rear ofthe frame lflThe countershaft car ries a bevel phiionwmeshing with the betel-gear wheel 20 on the shaft 5. In thls mannertheshaft 5 is driven from a source ofpowerat an appropriate speed, noattempt havingbeenmade 1n the drawings to indicate anyparticular speed,such speed de ending upon fillfiPI'lIl'lG" mover r or other spaceddiameter is greater than-the diameter of the rotor. V e

;The ledge 22 and flange 23 may be conveniently formed in one piece withthemain frame 1 or may be separately'formed and attached thereto, thesebeing constructional detailssubject to variations.

The disk 21 constitutesa rotor on which atdiametrically opposite pointsare mounted twisting heads or devices 26, 27 respectively,

' these twisting heads being. identical and only separately designatedto facilitate the description of the operation of the machine.

The twisting heads being alike, a description of one will apply to both.Each comprises a Ushap'ed frame or yoke 28 which, together with otherparts, is best shown in Fig. 4. Each-twisting head is located in adepression or opening 29 in the disk or rotor- 21'adjacent to theperiphery of the rotor with the v depressions diametrically face of thedisk or rotor.

opposite and receiving-respective ones of the twisting head 26 and 27,these twisting heads as afwholebeing about flush with the Thedepressions 29 2116 providedv with side ledges 30 each having a seriesof perforations-'31 for receiving screws or bolts 32, extending, throughlegs 33 constituting the opposite legs of the yoke 28, permitting theadjustment of the yoke or frame 28 radially of the rotor so that, aswill hereinafter appear, a considerable variation in the lengths ofthetie wires is possible. At the closed end of the frame 28 there is ajournal bearing 35 traversed I by an arbor 36 and carrying the latter,the

arbor having set collars 37 thereon permitting a degree of-adjustment ofthe arbor 36 radially with respect to the rotor 21. On the arbor on theside of the journal bearing 35 remote from the axis of rotation of therotor is a. roller 38having peripheral flats 39 in angular relation,which relation in the particular instance shown is a right angularrelation. Housed within the journal bearing 35 and fast to the arbor 36is a gear pinion 40 traveling in overriding relation to the ledge 22 andat those portions of the ledge 22 corresponding to the depressed parts24. and 25 of the flange. 23 are segmental rack-bars 41 and 42respectively, the

rack bar 41 being of a length to actuate-the pinion '40 .to cause apredetermined number of rotations of the pinion 40 and arbor 36 with it.The length of the rack bar 42 is such as to' cause a quarter rotation ofthe arbor 36 when the rack bar engages the pinion 40, such quarterrotation of the arbor 36 bringing one 01' the other of the flats 39 intoparallelism with the outer edge of the flange 23, which flange serves asa track, preventing any rotation of the arbor 36 while a flat 39 isriding thereon. In order to permit the roller 38 to turn, the depressedportions 24 and 25 of the flange 23 are provided, Wherefore, the flange23 offers no impediment to the rotation of the pinion 40 and with it thearbor 36 while the rack bars 24 and 25 are in engagement with the pinion40.

At the end of the arbor 36 toward the center of the disk or rotor 21there is secured a collar or head 43 carrying a bent finger 44 with itspoint of connection with the head or collar 43 eccentric to the aXis ofrotation of the arbor and this finger 44 extends diametrically acrossthe head 43 in spaced relation thereto and beyond that side of the headremote from the point of attachment of the finger 44 with the head, thefree end of the finger being preferably pointed. At certain phases ofthe operation of the machine the finger end of the arbor 36 is subjectedto side strain and in order to resist such side strain a thrust member45 is attached to one leg of the frame 28 and has a forked free end 46bearing against one side of the arbor 36.

Beyond the ends of the legs 33 remote from the joined ends thereof is abar 47 which may be adjusted along the ledges 30, becauseof the seriesof perforations 31, and erected on this bar 47 is a post 48 made quitethin in the direction of the length of the bar but which may be made aswide as the bar for strength. Pivoted to the bar 47 at one side thereofis a shear blade 49 in position to coact with the post 48 for a purposewhich will presently appear. The pivot support for the shear blade maybe in the form of a screw 50, or other pivotal means may be used, andprojecting on the side of the pivot 50 remote from the shear blade is anarm 51 having at its end a roller 52.

The frame 1 at an appropriate point has a'cam projection 53- in the pathof the roller 52 so that at a proper time in the orbital movement of theroller 52 it is brought into engagement with the cam 53, thereby causinga rocking of the shear blade into operative relation to the post 48. Theshear blade 49 is held in a normally inactive position by a spring 54.

Fast to that side of the frame near the rack 42 is a carrier 55 for areel 56 of wire 57. The carrier 55 is provided with a presser arm 57 forengaging the reel 56 and serving as a friction member or brake,

eas es pay I out the length, by a pivot bolt 58, rodkdhle tension 5s havl'ngclarnpingparts and screws 60 permitting the degree ol? tension tobe regulated as desired. 'Thewire 57- is threaded through the tensiondevice or clamp 59, across the disk 21 to a twisting head then located on the opposite side oi the machine, say the twisting head 26, as shownin Fig. 1. The free end or the wire is formed by hand into aloopandapplie'd to the finger 44 of the twisting head 26. On the trailingside of the post 48, the tension clamp 5'9 holds the wire suflicientlytent to prevent it from falling from the finger 44. Now, as the disk orrotor 21 is caused to move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.,that is counter clockwise, the twisting head 26 carries the wire 57-,then fast to the twisting head 26 in a direction which will-cause it tosweep across the center of the disk 2 1 However, at the same time thetwisting head 27 is traveling-and ultimately the post 48 thereof engagesthe wire 57 and carries the wire with it until that portion of thewiretoward the twistine head 26 and the portion of the wire towar the intakeof the machine are folded upon themselves with the bi'g'ht of the wireengaging about the ipost48 of thetwisting head 27. Because of thepresence ot the short rack 42 the finger 44 is then outstanding from thedisk 21. In order to insure that the outstanding finger 44 properlyengages the strand 04 wire 57 then in the path cit the finger, there isprovided a support 61 extending outwardly from the main frame 1 at ahigher pointthan the reel support 55 and this support 61 carries a bar62 adjust able in a direction about radial to the disk 21. The bar 62serves as a support for a curved arm '63 having roller64 at itsextremity in positionto override the wire 57 then across the disk 21 andreaching tothe opposite twisting head 26. The arm 63 has a continuation6 5 in the form o fa head suitably shaped to engage and force thefinished tie wires from the fingers 44. The discharge is facilitated bysprings 66 on the bars 47, to which springs reference wilrl hereinafterbe made. The roller'64 serves to hold the wire 57 close enough tothedisk 21 to insure engagement with the wire by the fingers 44 and maybe termed ahol'ddown device. C

After the wire has had a preliminarylo'op 6710T1D6d in it and engagedover a respective finger 44 the machine is started operation, thepreliminary loop 67 ismltimately brought to a position about that shownFlag. 1 as the position oi twistinghead 27. While this condition isbeing approached the pinion '40 of the twisting head '27 has reached therack 41-, at which point the active fiat onthe roller 38 is at therecess 24. As {the twisting head 27 travels ever the rack 41 the portionof the two wires between the rotating finger 44 "and the post 48 aretwisted together with the two strands of wire straddling the post 48.This occurs before the pinion 40 on the head 26 reaches the rash 42.Also before the pinion 40 reaches therack 42 the cam 53 engages theroller 52 and estuaries the 'cutte r head 49 against the tendency of thespring 54 to shear ofl the strand of wire 57 on the forward side of thepost 48, whereupon, the completed strand, or the one having thepreliminary twist loop 67, as the case may be, is cut oif from thetwisting head previously holding it, leaving the strand connected to themachine only at the finger 44 then adjacent to the entering end of themachine. When that end of the wire strand remote from the formed loop is"out ofli, the head 65, which serves as a stripper, engages the loop andstrips it from the finger 44 carryin it, such finger at the time beingin trailing relation or pointing in a reverse direction to the directionof travel of the twisting head. The stripping action isfacilitated bythesprings 66, which on release from pressure, under whichthey areinitially put by the wire 57, throw the wire when stripped from thefinger away from the face of therotor 21 so that the wire may fall freeof the machine and into a suitable receptacle, the latter, however, notbeing shown. The preliminarily twisted loop 67 is formed by hand butthereafter tliewire is twisted into automatically formed twisted loops67, as shown in Fig. 4. 1

After the machine has been started and the strand with the preliminarilyformed loop has been discharged from the machine, the operation proceedsentirely automatically. The finger 44 on each twisting head as itapproaches the entering side of the machine points rearwardly withrespect totheline of travel until the formed loop is stripped therefrom,whereupon, with the parts properly timed, the pinion 40 is brought intocontact with the short rack 42 and a quarter turn is imparted to thearbor 36, thus causing the finger 44 to stand outwardly from the disk orrotor 21 so as to be perpendicular thereto and in position to engage thewire 57 then in its path, the wire being held toward the disk 21 by theroller 64. As the forward movement of the rotor 21 progresses the wireis looped with the bight on opposite sideshof the post 48 and whileinthis condition the pinion 40 comes in contact with the longer rack 41,whereupon, thetwist 6'7, 4, is produced. As soon as the proper flat is'brought into engagement withthe &

flange 23 after passing the rack 41, the cam 53 becomes active to movethe shear or cutter49 to sever the forward strand of wire 57 from therearward strand in order'of travel and from the adjacent loop producedimmediately previously by the appropriate twisting head 26. At about thesame time the loop at the other end of the cut strand and located nearthe entering end of the machine is stripped from the finger 44 car ryingit, said finger" being then moved from substantial parallelism with thedisk 21 into perpendicular-relation thereto by the action of the shortrack 42 on the pinion 40. The long rack is designed to cause enoughturns of the twisting finger 44 to produce a safe twist in the wirecapable of withstanding the strains to which the wire is subjectedwithout any liability of pulling out. The short rack need only belongenough to cause a quarter turn of the twisting finger, such movementbeing inactive so far as twisting the wire is concerned.

The loops and twists are all alike but the length of the wire formedinto a tie wire may be varied by adjusting the twisting heads toward orfrom the axis of movement of the rotor. The finished product is asubstantially straight wire of such length as may be desired with oneend formed into a closed loop with a twist preventing the loo-p frompulling out.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a main frame with an annularledge surrounded by an annular flange forming a track, segmental racksprovided on the ledge, said flange being depressed atpoints coincidentwith the racks, a rotor concentric with the flange and of less diameterthan the ledge and track, twisting devices arranged diametricallyopposite each other and radially disposed on the rotor adjacent theperiphery thereof, a portion of each twisting device projecting beyondsaid periphery, said twisting devices each having a pinion to engage theracks in succession as the rotor is revolved, and a roller rotatablewith the pinion and engaging the flange.

2. In a machine for forming tie wires from continuous strands of wirewith each tie wire having a twisted loop at one end, an upright mainframe with a circular track thereon having its continuity-broken atapproximately opposite points, a rotor carried by the main frame androtatable upon a substantially horizontal axis concentric with thetrack, twisting heads carried by the rotor on opposite sides of the axisof rotation, twisting hooks carried by the twisting heads and eachprovided with a pinion and with a roller, said roller having peripheralflats movable along the track in engagement therewith, the said twistinghooks having their active ends radial to their axis of rotation, andracks associated with the portions of the track Where its continuity isbroken, with one rack of a length to impart a partial turn to the hookand the other rack of a length to impart a plurality of turns to thehook.

3. In a machine of the class described, a main frame with an annulartrack within its margin, said track having its continuity broken atintervals, segmental rack bars on the main frame at the points where thecontinuity of the track is broken and located interior to and beside thetrack, a single rotary disk interior to and concentric with the rackbars and track, a pair of twisting heads mounted at opposite sides ofthe outer face of the disk, and each provided with a pinion projectingfrom theperiphery of the disk for engaging the racks, and a peripherallyflattened roller also projecting from the edge of the disk for engagingthe track, a twisting hook fast to the pinion and roller, and cuttinmeans for the wire carried by each twistlng head.

4. In a machine of the class described, a main frame, a rotor withrecesses on opposite sides of the axis of rotation, each recess havingside ledges, and twisting heads each provided with a supporting yoke thelegs of which are carried by and adjustable radially of the rotor alongthe ledges, and each head having an arbor rotatably mounted therein andextending radially of the rotor and independently radially ad justable,said arbor having a hook-shaped finger mounted at its inner end.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a mainframe, a rotor having radial depressions leading in from its periphery,said depressions having side ledges, twisting heads mounted in saiddepressions, each head having a yoke the legs of which are mounted uponsaid ledges, means for adjustably connecting said legs to said ledges topermit the radial adjustment of said heads, a transverse bar separatefrom the yoke having its ends adjustably connected to said ledges, andcutting mechanism carried by said bar.

6. In a machine of the class described, a twisting head including anarbor, a collar secured to the arbor, a bent and pointed finger carriedby the collar at a point eccentric to the axis of rotation of the arbor,said finger extending diametrically across said collar in spacedrelation to the same, being thereby disposed substantially radial to theaxis of twisting.

7. In a machine of the class described, a twisting head including anarbor, a collar secured to the arbor at the inner end thereof, a bentand pointed finger mounted on the collar at a point eccentric to theaxis of the arbor, said finger extending diametrically across and beyondsaid collar in spaced relation thereto, said arbor being adjustable ingsprings for underlying the wire strand longitudinallyon the twistinghead.

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a rotor, atWlStlDgliGtLCl on the rotor, said twisting head including a yoke,radially adjustable on the rotor, an arbor radially adjustable ontheyoke, anda wire-engaging post adjustable with respect to the rotor.

9.111 a machine of the class described, a frame, a rotor, a twistinghead on the rotor, said twisting head including a bar having anupstanding post, and a wire-cutting element in cooperative relation tosaid post car ried by said bar, said bar being adjustable with respectto the rotor and the elements of the twisting head whereby the positionof the cut may be varied.

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a rotor, a twistinghead on the rotor,

said twisting head including a bar, a post extending outwardly from thebar, a cutting device to one side of the bar and connected thereto andcooperating with the post, and a spring throw-01f device on the otherside of the bar whereby the wire when out is re moved from the head.

11. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wirewith each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a main frame,a rotor mounted on the main frame and having recesses on opposite sides,a twisting head in each recess, said twisting head including a rotatablearbor and a finger on the arbor for engaging and twisting the wire, abar extending crosswise of the recess and provided with an outstandingpost adjacent to the finger and between which post and finger the wireis twisted by rotating the arbor, a shear blade mounted on the bar inoperative relation to the post for severing a preceding portion ofthewire from the twist, and means on the fixed part of the machine foroperating the shear blade at a predetermined point in the rotation ofthe rotor.

12. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wirewith each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a main frame,a rotor mounted on the main frame and having recesses on opposite sides,a twisting head in each recess, said twisting head including a rotatablearbor and a finger on the arbor for engaging and twisting the wire, abar extending crosswise of the recess and provided with an outstandingpost adjacent to the finger and between which post and finger the wireis twisted by rotating the arbor, a shear blademounted on the bar inoperative relation to the post for severing a preceding portion of thewire from the twist, and means on a fixed part of the machine foroperating the shear blade at a predetermined point in the rotation ofthe rotor, the bar with the post thereon also havto throw or kiclr oifthe wire.

13. In a machine for forming tie wires rom a continuous. strand of wire,main frame, a. rotor with twisting heads thereon, and a tension devicefor wire fed to the twisting.heads,s.aid tension device being carried bythe main frame and comprising a bracket rigidly mounted on the mainframe,

and a clamp pivotally mounted at an intermediate point between its endsupon the bracket and thereby made rockable, said clamp having clampingparts for gripping the wire with predetermined pressure.

14:. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wirewith each t1e wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a main frame,a rotor mounted thereon, twisting heads carried by the rotor on oppositesides of the center thereof, and a hold-down device carried by the mainframe in the path of the wire extending across the rotor and adjustableradially with respect to the rotor.

15. In a machine of the class described, a

frame, a rotor, a twisting head on the r0- tor, and. a hold-down devicecarried by the frame, said device including a support, a bar slidablyadjustable in the support, an arm extending at an angle from the end ofthe bar, and a roller adapted to be engaged with the wire to be twistedand hold. the same for engagement by the twisting head.

16. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wire,a main frame, a rotor mounted on the frame, twistmg heads on said rotor,and a hold-down device carried by the frame in the path of wireextending over the rotor, said device including an arm, and a rollermounted on said arm to override the wire and hold the engagement withthe wire by one of the twisting heads.

17. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wirewith each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a rotor withtwisting heads thereon for the wire, a main frame surrounding therotor,.a support on the main frame, a stripper on the support inposition to engage a formed loop on a twisting head and dis charge theloop therefrom, and springs associated with the twisting heads to forcethe completed tie wire out from the machine.

18. In a machine for forifiing tie wires from a continuous strandof wirewith each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a rotor withtwisting heads thereon for the wire, a main frame surrounding the rotor,a support on the main frame, and a stripper on the support in positionto engage a formed loop on a twisting head and dis- 105 samesuificlently close to the rotor to insure charge the loop therefrom, thesupport also as my own, and have hereto aflixed my sigcarrymg adepressmg member 1n spaced renature 111 the presence of two Witnesses.

lation to the stripper for eng a ing and holding down Wire in the pathof the twist- GEORGE BROUS' 5 ing head from which a Wire loop has beenWitnesses:

stripped. V M. D. CARTER,

Inv testimony, that I claim the foregoing FLORA W. HERRMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner or Patents, Washington, D. G.

